Over the course of this semester part of our TESL training was to seek out a language partner, or at the very least someone we could tutor in English. I found my Japan-based partner, Ayane, within a social media group that supports international figure skating sensation Yuzuru Hanyu. Sports and arts are both sources of international and linguistic unity, and with this in mind I set forth Friday evening video calls with Ayane in addition to chatting about the figure skating season throughout the week. Having studied Japanese, this established a mutually beneficial relationship in which we could both practice our L2s while having fun in the process.

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Some of the things I noticed quickly were my own mannerisms in speaking with her, as well as how they adapted through our partnership. I mirror many of Ayane’s Japanese backchanneling and body language even when we conversed in English which leads me to believe there is a distinction between codeswitching with language and culture. In those scenarios, I codeswitched to my “L2 Culture” of Japanese to fit the context the two of us created with our merged communication styles. I used foreigner talk more in the earlier sessions with Ayane, but as she became more used to my genuine English I was able to scale back on it to provide a more authentic experience of her target language.

While my goal was to develop TESL skills and my Japanese ability, her goal was to learn English suitable for travel so that she can follow our favorite skater to a major international event next season. As a result I was able to devise various “modules” toward which we could steer our conversation, which included the English encountered within transportation systems, event venues, and other related topics. Having been to two of these competitions myself I was able to readily drum up specific contexts where appropriate language application was necessary or where language could even enhance the experience of the event.

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Most of our learning was the result of informal activities we came up with together. Many of these capitalized on our ability to access interesting authentic material, as figure skating fans are experts in finding language-specific replay of competition coverage. When we watched American commentary I elaborated on certain expressions and vocabulary to expand Ayane’s lexical inventory and knowledge of a select few sporting idioms. Even if she cannot make it to an English speaking event and use her knowledge there, at the very least she can enjoy multiple perspectives of figure skating now with two languages to choose from.

While the experience is not yet over since Ayane and I still talk regularly I have learned a lot about my personal teaching style in a one-on-one setting. I am more patient and less anxious than expected, and I find it easier now to think on my feet so that time is spent productively. This is a result I have also seen in my time coaching younger ice skaters at my local rink. What is more exciting to me is that I learned these two skill sets at the same time as each other and can continue to expand them before I graduate and move on to a formal teaching job. After all is said, this experience was a great stepping stone in developing my professional skill set.